Yep ....second the velcro . Ive 2 sets of morrants , both velcro . Anyone old enough ( like me ) who actually remembers wearing them way back in the 80s ( my first couple sets of pads were buckles , then when i was 12 i got a set of kooks with velcro....'omg , this so farkin amazing , where have you been my whole life'! ) will attest to how uncomfortable buckle straps can be , even painfully so . If you are worried about excess strap hanging over , just pinch the velcro together in the middle of your leg to make the strap smaller . Not sure , but I dare say the velcro are a tad lighter too.....and we must be weight conscious if we are paying big coin for morrants , no ?